Morning icy hike in Sky Meadows State Park

Whether this is a nice hike or just an ice hike depends on whether you like the idea of a cold clear morning climb (with spikes) up the steep slope in Sky Meadows State Park as much as I do. There aren't too many options at the moment if you want to get outside.

We'll start at the main parking lot and ascend the hill to upper Piedmont overlook and take in the view. From there we'll assess the trail to white house overlook, and if it's good we'll continue to that point for another view. We'll turn around, descend to where the north ridge trail branches off going down, and if it looks good we'll take it back to the cars. If it doesn't look good we'll retrace our steps back down the Piedmont overlook trail to the start.

Microspikes are mandatory and you should be comfortable using them to hike on slopes. I hiked the main hill on Monday of this week and it was good. The first half of the hill had places where others had punched down a couple of inches and it was easy to walk in their tracks. The second half was solid ice that didn't punch through and was easy to hike on. Coming down felt safe and stable also. As it will be really cold for the next few days it should be solid on Tuesday am. Check the weather and dress warmly.

Additional details for this hike are included below.

• Distance: 3.7 miles
• Elevation gain: 670 feet
• Pace: 1.5-2 miles/hour
• Difficulty: Moderate (hiking difficulty scale)
• Start time: 9:00 a.m.
• Duration: 2 hours
• Hike map:
• Trailhead parking: Sky Meadows State Park Visitor Parking Lot
  Parking coordinates: 38.991815, -77.965877

What to bring

Make sure your emergency contact information is in your pack. Bring backpack, hiking poles, food, water, sunscreen. Dress for the weather, including hat, gloves, layers, and rain gear as needed.

Dogs

Sorry, no dogs on this hike.

Park entrance / parking fees

You are required to pay a $10 entrance fee or present your Virginia State Parks annual pass in order to access Sky Meadows State Park.

Alternatively, REI Members can use an REI receipt as your FREE VA State Parks Day Pass. Simply provide your REI receipt from a participating Virginia REI to the contact station ranger or insert it in a self-pay envelope at the contact station. Use the self-pay envelope to pay the entrance fee if the contact station is not open and hang the tear-off tab on your rear view mirror. Further details are available here.

Rehydration

TBD

Weather

Here's a National Weather Service URL you can use to check the 7-day weather forecast at the trailhead from which we start the hike (Sky Meadows State Park Visitor Parking Lot).

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=38.991815&lon=-77.965877

In case of poor or severe weather, this hike will be postponed.

Disclaimer

Blue Mountain Hiking Club Organizers are not professional guides. Expect the same risks and take the same precautions you would take if you were hiking alone. With your RSVP you agree with the following: DISCLAIMER/Liability Waiver.